How about this for Horobi prompt: Amatsu embedded slave coding into Horobi's programming, causing him to obey the person he imprinted as his master without question. After Ark was gone, Horobi's slave coding had him accidentally imprinted on Jin, making his son his new master.
AUGH. I had this all written out and then my computer screwed me over. TT^TT It was so good… I’ll try to rewrite it.
I am literally going to cry right now, bc I know I don’t remember all of what I wrote.
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‘Code alterations,’ Naki had called it. They hadn’t looked him in the eye as they spoke, instead looking off to his left. He didn’t ask if they had helped—he knew they wouldn’t have had a choice in the matter, anyway. He couldn’t hold it against them. No, there was no point in blaming Naki.
Instead, he blamed himself. He should have been more careful. He should have realised that something was up.
As he closed the door, he heard movement behind him. “Jin.”
At the sound of Horobi’s voice, Jin spun around and dove forward, catching his father’s arms before he could kneel. “I told you not to do that.”
“I apologise.” Horobi’s eyes were on the floor rather than him, and there was a deference in his tone that hurt to listen to.
He’d known there was something unnatural about Horobi’s devotion to the Ark. But it had never occurred to him that it might actually run this deep. It was just like Amatsu to not trust in something like love for a child to keep MetsubouJinrai running. No, it was just like Thouser to find it necessary to reenforce the notion of a HumaGear as a slave and himself, via the Ark, as a master. The wretched human had violated his father’s very programming and nature, wrenched from him even the semblance of free will, blocked him from truly achieving it.
Even worse, it was so deeply engrained in his father’s coding, that, upon reawakening, unconnected to the Ark, the code had immediately sought out a new master. He’d known something was off the moment his father had opened his eyes—they’d flashed, lights flickering as if Horobi were scanning his face. He’d just never imagined the result.
At least it was him. At least this way he could keep his father close—be sure he was safe. At least it was him and not Vulcan—or worse, Zero-One.
Jin sighed faintly. “Don’t.” He said, quietly, trying to keep his voice under control, but it shook regardless. His hands were still on Horobi’s arms, clutching much too tightly, but his father did not react to pressure that had to be painful. “Please.”
Horobi’s gaze remained on the ground. “As you wish” He replied just as softly—but still in that awful, submissive voice.
Jin wanted to cry. He pulled closer, dropping his head into his father’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around him. After a moment, he felt Horobi shift, reaching up to hug him, rubbing his back gently. But he knew it wasn’t out of parental love or concern, not really. It was twisted by the code, what should have been a tender moment marred by human interference, corrupting love with an obedient program dutifully detecting what its master needed and carrying it out.
He hated it. He hated Thouser. He wanted to lift the damn human off his feet and snap his neck. Screw the objections of the others. What the beast had done to Horobi and Naki was unforgivable. Human justice was too light on their own kind.
But at the same time… He hated himself. Hated himself for not pulling away, for letting Horobi hold him, for finding comfort in it. Even though he knew it was just perpetuating the program. Really, he was just as bad as the monster who had put the code there in the first place.
But still he stayed there, clinging tighter to Horobi, his face buried in his father’s collar, shoulders shaking. He stayed there, and let the program corrupt Horobi’s heart and mind. He stayed.
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Aaaaaaah. Okay, so this is pretty close to what I originally wrote. I think there are a few lines missing that have been lost to the ether, but my memory is really, really bad, so I’m kind of impressed I got this much. I’m gonna stop here before I lose everything again. ^^;